The present invention is related to a control by a synchronization system between a picture and a motion base in a simulation ride system for moving the motion base in connection with the picture.
Also, the present invention is related to a VR (virtual reality) motion producing apparatus, and more specifically, a motion data producing system of a motion base in a simulation ride system for moving a motion base in connection with a CG (computer graphics) picture.
Furthermore, the present invention is related to a simulation rider transporting apparatus, and more specifically, to a simulation rider transporting apparatus containing a means for constraining an attitude and a position of a rider, e.g., a seat and an arm; a carriage for mounting this constraining means; a means for constraining that this carriage is transportable; and an actuator.
Conventionally, since a picture scenario is determined (non-interactive system), a synchronization between a picture and an operation of a motion base is merely established only at a starting time. Thereafter, a picture apparatus and a motion base control apparatus are independently controlled.
Also, conventionally, in a simulation ride system for operating a motion base in connection with a CG picture, for example, in a flight simulator, in order to form motion (movement) of the motion base, namely motion data, a person who is observing this CG picture directly operates this motion to instruct the movement (for example, a direct instruction while actually moving a motion base, this operation is instructed; an off-line instruction such that while moving a model of a motion base, this operation is instructed; and an NC instruction such that while actually entering as numeral values velocities and positional changes in the respective axes of a motion base, this operation is instructed).
These conventional instruction methods are directed to such instruction methods for mainly using the motion bases, which are substantially determined by human sensitivities. Therefore, expert techniques are necessarily required, and these conventional instruction methods should required huge amounts of cost and very large numbers of manufacturing stages. On the other hand, while CG (computer graphics) techniques are progressed, pictures are also expressed by computer graphics. As a consequence, the scenario fixed systems are substituted by such systems that scenarios are changed by events. In this scenario fixed system, operation patterns of dynamic objects to be controlled (air plane and vehicle etc.,) are previously defined, namely, the non-interactive system. In the latter system, namely the interactive system, the operation patterns of the dynamic objects to be controlled are changed in response to handle operations. That is, the operation patterns can be hardly predicted. In this latter-mentioned interactive system, since the operation patterns can be hardly predicted, there is such a problem. That is to say, in the conventional system such that the operation patterns have been defined as the initial condition, the operations of the motion base cannot be instructed.
Furthermore, the conventional simulation rider transporting apparatus is comprised of: means for constraining an attitude of a rider and a position thereof such as a seat and an arm; a first base for riding thereon both the rider and said containing means; a second base arranged under said first base; and elevation means for elevating said first base; a base; and a forward/backward transportable actuator. Then, as this elevation means, such an elevation device is known (see JP-A-60-143379). This elevation device is located under the first base, the respective actuators are coupled to the first base at the maximum points thereof, and the first base is moved in the swing manner by expanding/compressing the cylinder type rod.
In this conventional simulation rider transporting apparatus, since the base is moved in the swing manner by expanding/compressing the cylinder type rod, both the lengths of the actuators and the length of the rod become long. Therefore, there is such a problem that the height of the simulation rider transporting apparatus is increased. Thus, such a high simulation rider transporting apparatus can be hardly installed in the existing facilities.
Also, another conventional simulation rider transporting apparatus is known. That is as the elevation means, cranks are used, and, a drive means is used so as to hold the angle between each of the cranks and the second base as a preselected value and the change this value. However, since torque of the drive means is effected between the second base and the cranks, undesirable situations occur.
Moreover, as a means for constraining the first base and the attitude, the constraining mechanism is required in addition to the actuator. Thus, the apparatus becomes complex, which may cause an increase of the weight thereof.
Also, there are since cases that although the picture is synchronized with the operation of the motion base at the starting time in the prior art, this synchronization is shifted due to differences in the processing capabilities of the respective control apparatuses thereof.
If the picture is not synchronized with the operation of the motion base, then the motion data (operation) which is originally produced in connection with the picture would be executed when the originally set picture scene is displayed.
This situation may give unpleasant feelings to the persons who ride on the motion base. As a result, the concentration feelings to the picture play world directed by the simulation ride system would be lost.
A subject to be solved by the present invention is to provide a correction means effected in such a case that a synchronization between a picture and operation of a motion base is shifted.
The present invention is equipped with the below-mentioned means as a means for solving the above-explained subject without deteriorating concentration feelings of a rider on a motion base with respect to a picture.
(1) A correction means fitted to a picture is provided on the basis of a picture.
(2) A means for using/correcting a frame* No. (number) of a picture sync command every frame during which a picture can be outputted is provided.
A means for comparing a frame No. present in a picture sync command (frame presently displayed by picture apparatus) with a frame No. indicative of motion data executed by a motion base, for calculating a correction velocity from a difference component to change an operation velocity of the motion base, and thereby for synchronizing the motion data with the picture.
A correcting method effected when the frame No. is used is such a means that the motion data is changed into motion data of the relevant frame No. based upon the frame No. of the picture which is outputted from the picture apparatus and is presently imaged, and subsequently, the motion data arranged in a sequential manner are executed so as to synchronize the picture with the operation of the motion base.
Even when the synchronization established between the picture and the operation of the motion base is shifted, the motion base control apparatus having the means for solving the above-described problem can maintain the synchronization between the picture and the operation of the motion base without correcting the picture (when the picture is corrected, the frame will drop).
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus capable of producing motion base operation data from CG data, capable of producing operation data of a motion base even in an interactive system that an operation pattern cannot be previously predicted, and also capable of being widely applied to various motion bases.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus comprising motion model converting means for converting a motion model of an object to be controlled which is moved within a virtual reality space constituted by computer graphics into another motion model of a motion base having a finite stroke, wherein: the object to be controlled is a dynamic object; and the motion model converting means converts the motion model of the dynamic object to be controlled into the motion model of the motion base having the finite stroke.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the motion model converting means converts coordinate data of the motion model of the dynamic object to be controlled into coordinate data of the motion model of the motion base.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the motion model converting means is conversion means for converting in a real time.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the VR motion producing apparatus is used in a simulation ride system corresponding to an interactive system.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the VR motion producing apparatus is comprised of: means for extracting coordinate data used to draw the motion model of the dynamic object to be controlled; means for calculating a velocity change of the dynamic object to be controlled within the VR space from the extracted coordinate data; and means for calculating an attitude change of the dynamic object to be controlled every time instant.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the VR motion producing apparatus is comprised of: means for resolving the calculated velocity change into the respective axial components of an object coordinate system fixed to a dynamic model to be controlled so as to calculate a velocity change amount of each of the axes of the object coordinate system; and means for scaling the calculated velocity change amount to convert the scaled velocity change amount into a motion amount within a finite stroke of a motion base which is actually operated.
Furthermore, the present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the VR motion producing apparatus is comprised of: means for converting the calculated attitude change of the dynamic object to be controlled into a rotation amount of each of the axes of the object coordinate system fixed to the dynamic object to be controlled; and means for scaling the converted rotation amount to convert the scaled rotation amount into a motion amount within a finite stoke of a motion base which is actually operated.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus wherein: the VR motion producing apparatus is comprised of: means for cutting a frequency component of data at a designated frequency with respect to operation data of the motion base calculated by the operation model connecting means; and means capable of producing motion data of a motion base, taking account of a mechanical mechanism of a motion base.
Furthermore, the present invention is to provide a simulation rider transporting apparatus capable of suppressing a height of this simulation rider transporting apparatus to a low height.
The present invention is to provide a simulation rider transporting apparatus comprising: means for constraining an attitude of a rider and a position thereof such as a seat and an arm; a first base for riding thereon both the rider and the containing means; a second base arranged under the first base; and elevation means for elevating said first base, wherein: the elevation means owns two cranks which are arranged opposite to each other between the first base and the second base; the two cranks own crank arms whose one edge is coupled to the second base, and a crank rod for coupling the other edge of the crank arm to the first base; and the simulation rider transporting apparatus is comprised of drive means for changing a relative angle between the two crank arms into a predetermined value, and for holding the changed relative angle.
The present invention is to provide a simulation rider transporting apparatus wherein: coupling means having a rotation free degree along three axial directions is arranged between the crank rod and the first base, and the drive means is a single motor.
The simulation rider transporting apparatus is further comprised of: means for driving the second base along forward/backward direction.
Concretely speaking, the elevation means owns a rotation free degree with respect to one axial direction which intersects at a right angle a plane where the cranks are moved; and three sets of the elevation means are arranged on front center portion and both side of rear portions concerned with the second base, and the three elevation means are disposed so that moving surfaces of each crank intersects at one point.